Radiator construction



June 14, 1932. o. c. PALMER RADIATOR CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 26. 1931 [NVE'NTUE Y05CAR C.'P LJMEFP v TTUENEY EL Patented June 14, 1932 rr STTES OSCAR C. PALMER, 0F PHOENIX, ARIZONA RADIATOR CONSTRUCTION Application filed February 26, 1931. Serial No. 518,397.

This invention relates to radiators, and has for an object the provision of an improved and simplified radiator construction of the type commonly employed in conjunction with internal combustion motors.

Another object of the invention is todecreasethe cost of construction of a radiator by decreasing the quantity of material employed in its manufacture, without impairing the cooling efiiciency of the radiator.

Another object is to provide a radiator construction wherein novel interlocking means are provided for holding the radiating fins in predetermined position with respect to the water tube members, during assembly of the radiator construction, thus insuring their being properly positioned with respect to each other at the time of soldering.

Another object is to provide flanges struck from the cooling fins at the forward, and preferably at both of the exposed faces of the radiator, these flanges being disposed in parallel planes and substantially horizontally, whereby they cooperate with the associated edges of the water tube members to define rectangular air cells, the result being that the radiator construction has substantially the same appearance as those constructed along more conventional lines.

The invention possesses other objects and advantageous features, some of which, with those enumerated, will be set forth in the following description of the inventions particular embodiment which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming a part of the specification. 7

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a fragment of a radiator core embodying the principles of the present invention. Portions of the figure are broken away to reduce its size and to better disclose the configuration of the radiator fin.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation, the direction of View being indicated by the arrow 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view, the plane of section being indicated by the line 3- 3 of Fig. 1, and the direction of view by the arrows.

The'particular embodiment of. radiator construction which has been chosen to illustrate the principles of the present invention comprises a plurality of water tube members 6 disposed in spaced, parallel, and substantially vertical planes, and radiating or F5 cooling hns 7 disposed in the air passages fins 7, without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Preferably, however, each of the members 6 is composed of two metal plates 11 and 12 arranged face-to-face.

Each of the plates 11, 12 has a plurality of parallel, longitudinally extending grooves 13 formed therein by depressing the associated portions of the plate away from that face thereof which is to engage the other plate, with the result that the outer surface of each tube member 6 presents a plurality of parallel beads 14- extending into the air space 8 defined by that member. The grooves 13 of the two plates 11, 12 are in registry with each other, the result being that the beads 14 are hollow to define a vertically extending water tube 16. Whereas any suitable headers may be employed, in their preferred con struction the upper and lower ends of the plates 11 and 12 are bent over at 90, thus providing horizontal flanges 17 extending laterally on each side and from each end of each of the tube members 6. These flanges 17 are joined preferably in a lap joint 18 which is ultimately soldered so as to rigidly space the tube members 6 and retain them in parallelism with each other.

' The fins 7, one of which is disposed within each of the air spaces 8 between adjacent tube members 6, comprise elongated strips of metal corresponding in width to the width of the tube members 6'. Each is formed with alternate corrugations 21 which extend angularly with respect to the water tubes 16, i. e., if the water tubes 16 run vertically, the corrugations 21 extend horizontally. Since the corrugations 21 are alternate with respect to each other, each fin is of zigzag configuration, as best shown uponFig. 3.

\Vhcreas the fins 7 serve as spacing members whereby the tube members 6 are retained in properly spaced relationship throughout their entire length, the corrugations 21, instead of being of a depth corresponding to the spacing between adjacent tube members 6, are of materially lesser depth, so that they zigzag, not between the major portions of the members 6, but instead between the crests or outermost portions 22 of the beads 14 whereby the water tubes are defined. As will readily e understood, decrease in the depth of the corrugations 2i effects a material saving in the total length of the strip of metal which is required for the manufacture of a fin 7 of a given length, as compared with a fin wherein the corrugations are deep enough to zigzag between portions of the tube members which are between the water tubes.

Moreover, the crests 23 of the corrugations 21, instead of being angular, preferably are rounded, which detail of construction also results in a saving of material.

Horizontally extending tongues 26 are struck from each fin 7, each of these tongues 26 being provided by severing a portion of the material of the fin from each sloping r; all 27 of its corrugations and the crest thereof, and extending this tongue straight outwards from the side of the strip, so that it extends beyond the crests 23 of the corrugations and into the space between the beads 14 whereby the water tubes 16 are defined. Hence, contact between the cooling fins 7 and the water tube members 6 occurs at the intersection of each crest 23 of each corrugation, with each crest 22 of each bead 16, and also at the engagement of the end of each tongue 26 with the body of the associated tube member 6 between the beads 14- thereof. This engagement between the radiating fins 7 and the tube members 6 at a multiplicity of points insures eilicient conduction of heat from the water circulating through the water tubes 16, through the metal of the tube members 6 to the cooling fins 7, whereby efflcient radiation of the heat to the air flowing through the air passages 8 is assured, even though a materially decreased quantity of metal is necessary for the construction of the cooling fins 7.

The tongues 26 serve another function, however, inasmuch as they preferably correspond in width to the distance between the beads 14, so that during assembly they prevent slipping in a transverse direction between the fins 7 and the tube members 6. Moreover, they assist in preventing crushing of the corrugations 21 when the assembled but unsoldered radiator construction is pressed together preparatory to soldering.

I also provide flanges 31 at preferably each of the exposed faces of the radiator construction. Each of these flanges 31 is formed by severing each end 32 of the flange 31 from the remainder of the fin along lines at oppo site crests 23, and then making a cut 33 from one end 32 in the associated inclined wall 27, whereupon the flange 31 may be bent from the plane of the associated inclined wall into substantially horizontal position. I have found that it is necessary to provide but one cut 33, inasmuch as the metal may be flexed and stretched sufficiently to leave a tongue 3% of material extent joining each flange 31 with the associated inclined wall 27, as best shown upon Fig. l. Inasmuch as these flanges 31 disposed in parallelism with each other and preferably horizontally, it will be seen that they cooperate with the associated edges of the tube members 6 to define rectangular and preferably square air cells at the exposed surfaces of the radiator. Instead of being perfectly flat, however, each of the flanges 31 is bent along an axis 36 which extends longitudinally with respect to the flange. This increases the inherent strength of the flange to resist crumpling when subjected to pressure upon its ends, with the result that the flanges 31 cooperate with the tongues 36 in retaining the tube members 6 in properly spaced relationship when the assembled radiator core is pressed together preparatory to soldering. Moreover, the slightly inclined leading surfaces of the flanges 31 tend to deflect the air rushing into the air passages 8 and throw it downwards against the upper surface of the associated inclined wall 27 which is immediately below and behind that flange 31, thus causing the air not only to rush past the metal of which the fin 7 constructed, but instead to impinge directly thereupon, thereby increasing the capability of the fin in delivering its heat to the air. As the air rushes on through the air passages 8, it encounters a plurality of severing edges, whereby the air stream is cut and disturbed by the leading edges of the tongues 26, as well as by the leading edges of the inclined walls 27 of the corrugations 21, thereby establishing a high degree of turbulence, which also causes the air to impinge against the metal of the fins 7, as well as against the metal of the tube members 6 to further increase the cooling efficiency of the radiator construction of my invention.

It is to be understood that the details of the invention as herein disclosed, are subject to alteration within the spirit or scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a radiator construction, tube members having beads extending from both faces, said beads being hollow to define water tubes, and said members being spaced to define air passages with said beads extending thereinto, and fins disposed within said air passages, each fin comprising a plate having corrugations therein extending angularly with respect to said water passages, the crests of said corrugations engaging the outermost portions of said beads, and tongues struck from said plate and extending beyond said crests into engagement with said tube members between said beads.

2. In a radiator construction, tube members having beads extending from both faces, said beads being hollow to define water tubes, and said members being spaced to define air passages with said beads extending thereinto, and fins disposed within said air passages, each fin comprising a plate having corrugations therein extending angularly With respect to said water passages, the crests of said corrugations engaging the outermost portions of said beads, and flanges formed at the ends of said corrugations and arranged in parallel planes to define rectangular air cells at the exposed surfaces of said radiator construction.

3. In a radiator construction, tube members having beads extending from both faces, said beads being hollow to define water tubes, and said members being spaced to define air passages with said beads extending thereinto, and fins disposed within said air passages, each fin comprising a plate having corrugations therein extending angularly with respect to said water passages, the crests of said corrugations engaging the outermost portions of said beads, tongues struck from said plate and extending beyond said crests into en agement with said tube members between said beads, and flanges formed at the ends of said corrugations and arranged in parallel planes to define rectangular air cells at the exposed surfaces of said radiator'construction.

4. A radiating fin for a radiator construction comprising a pair of spaced tube members having beads projecting from their faces into the space between the members, said fin comprising a strip of metal zigzagging between the crests of said beads, and tongues struck from said fin and extending beyond the crests of said beads into engagement with said members between said beads.

5. A radiating fin for a radiator construction comprising a pair of spaced tube members having beads projecting from their faces into the space between the members, said'fin comprising a strip of metal zigzagging between the crests of said beads, and flanges struck from said fin at an edge thereof and disposed in parallel planes to define rectangular air cells at an exposed surface of said radiator construction.

6. A radiating fin for a radiator construction comprising a pair of spaced tube members having beads projecting from their faces into the space between the members, said fin comprising a strip of metal zigzagging between the crests of said beads, and flanges struck from said fin at an edge thereof and disposed in parallel planes to define rectangular air cells at an exposed surface of said radiator construction, each of said flanges being bent along an axis extending longi tudinally of the flange'to increase the cominto the space between the members, said fin comprising a strip of metal zigzagging between the crests of said beads. and tongues struck from said fin and extending beyond the crests of said beads into engagement with said members between said beads, and flanges struck from said fin at an edge thereof and disposed in parallel planes to define rectangular air cells at an exposed surface of said radiator construction.

8. In a radiator construction, water tube members spaced to define air passages therebetween, and fins disposed within said air passages, each fin comprising a plate having corrugations extending transversely of said tube members, and flanges formed at the ends of said corrugations and arranged in parallel planes to define rectangular air cells at the front surface of said radiator construction.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

' OSCAR C. PALMER. 

